UBC Library and Archives

IAMSLIC conferences in changing times Brown, Helen L.; Vis-Dunbar, Mathew; Taylor, Sally

Description

Over the last few years, how we meet and participate in conferences has changed dramatically due to the pandemic and improved virtual meeting tools. In IAMSLIC, we’re now taking part in our fourth virtual or hybrid conference and we’ve seen changes in attendance during this time. At the same time, libraries and library associations are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their emissions and impact on biodiversity to limit climate change and meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and their organizations’ commitments. Climate change research shows that a primary source of emissions is air travel, and that in particular, wealthier institutions and researchers are more likely to engage in professional development and meeting activities that have a high climate impact. This study applies climate science evidence to library professional activities by analyzing attendance and emissions from eight IAMSLIC conferences to answer questions about how much we’re emitting, how attendance has changed, and the impacts of different options on emissions and accessibility. The goal of this project is to assess how we’ve changed and identify options to build community and resilience while meeting our responsibility to prevent further devastating climate impacts and injustice.

Item Citations and Data

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International